Lips שָׂפָה

We are still in chapter six of Exodus. We find Moses complaining that what God had called him to do was not working because he is not good at speaking. Let’s look at our word for today. שָׂפָה lip, language, speech, edge, border, seam, river bank, sea bank. It is used 175 times in the Old Testament. Exodus 6:10-12 So the Lord said to Moses, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised שְׂפָתָֽיִם lips?” We also see this same excuse Moses gives later in our chapter. Exodus 6:30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised שְׂפָתַ֔יִם lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”God calls himself the almighty in verse three but Moses is not focused on God but rather his lack of ability to speak. I think the reason why God writes about Moses and Aarons family here in our chapter is because he wants to point out that Moses is like any other person. He has a family and is just a man like everyone else. God is getting ready to make himself known in a way that he hasn’t ever done before through miraculous acts of judgment. He even says this contrasting his names almighty and I AM. Exodus 6:2-3 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. God’s name Almighty is impressive but YHWH or I AM or the ever existing reality is something new. God is about to change their reality because he is reality the one who has always eternally existed and will bring about his purposes that are good, pleasing and perfect. This is going to be such a big deal that God wants to again emphasize that Moses is just a man it is God who is about to do this. Notice the emphasis in our chapter. Exodus 6:26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron. Did you catch that? This Moses and this Aaron who have a family and origin and are just people. Again God doesn’t want us to miss that it is he who will be doing this. So Moses argument that he is not good at speaking is not the point because it is God who will be accomplishing the work all Moses has to do is show up. Remember how God explains this to Moses earlier in this way. Exodus 4:10-12 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” So those who spoke to Pharaoh Moses and Aaron are just human like us it was God who was going to do this through them. This reminds me of how God encourages us through the book of James that we as well can experience God just like people he did in the past. James 5:16-17 The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. This is exciting to me for several reasons. Not only is God the great I AM the reality who changes things according to his will. Not only is his will good pleasing and perfect. And also because it is not all up to our own abilities because he uses ordinary people like Moses and Elijah we can be greatly encouraged when we find ourselves trying to lead people who don’t listen. Because of all of this we can use our lips like David does in this Psalm I will close with. Psalm 63:2-5 Because your love is better than life, my שְׂפָתַ֥י lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live...with singing וְשִׂפְתֵ֥י lips my mouth will praise you.